Comparing Cosmo Air Snow & Air Light Paper

In this video I compare Jet Pens Cosmo Air Snow and Cosmo Air Light Cream (both A5 and both 75 gsm) paper.
Thank you to pen friend Matt W for sending the sample sheets of Cosmo Air Snow.
I wrote a letter yesterday on Air Snow and immediately realized that I like it better than Air Light .. but it's still rather mysterious as to why. In fact it could be that these are simply 2 different colors of the same exact paper? I'm not sure. Both papers show off the ink shading and beauty very nicely. In my mind and finger tips ... the Snow paper feels just slightly smoother ... not at all fuzzy.
There is almost no discernible difference in the white and cream shade of these papers -- it's very subtle.
All I know is that my money will go for the Cosmo Air Snow because it just feels perfect and looks great too. This paper seems especially compatible with Robert Oster inks - a great plus in my book! My beloved CVS Caliber paper does not play as nicely with Robert Oster inks.
Both papers are $11 for 100 sheets on Jet Pens.
Snow:
www.jetpens.co...
Light:
www.jetpens.co...
I think in conclusion that these are awesome special letter writing papers ... and although I still use quite a bit of low cost CVS Caliber paper and other Scholar tablets etc I will consider the Cosmo Air Snow as a replacement for my old favorite Tomoe River 52 gsm. I like the weight of this paper and the feel and the beauty!!!!
Have you tried either or both of these papers? Thank you for watching my friends, I will return with a Progress Report on September's Inked Pens soon.
My Instagram: / snowball7470
Compare inks: inkswatch.com/
My pen email: [e-mail]

[@MattJWoz]

Hi Chris! I'm so glad to see this video and know that my letter made it to you and that you've been enjoying the paper sample! I have really been loving the Cosmo Air Snow paper and like that it's a bright white. I feel like it really makes inks look super vibrant and the shading has been great too! I've never used Cosmo Air Light, so it was interesting to be able to see the two side by side in your video! Thanks for much for sharing your thoughts with all of us, as always!

[@ChrisSaenz13]

Hi Matt -- my letter to you is on it's way -- I was SO long overdue writing back to you!!!! Rohrer & Klingner Solferino was so vibrant on the Cosmo Air Snow even more beautiful than I remembered!!!! :)

[@MattJWoz]

@@ChrisSaenz13 Yes, that ink does look particularly vibrant on that paper, but I've been pretty pleased with how it had handled just about everything. 🙂 No worries about the delayed reply, I know things get busy. I've been behind on some lettters and projects as well. It's always good to hear from you, but there's never any pressure to respond on any particular schedule. I'll keep my eyes on the mail here and will look forward to your letter! I hope all is well with you and yours!

[@user-gl5ld9vm7i]

Hi! Thanks for these wonderful videos. Love your reviews

[@ChrisSaenz13]

Hi R -- thank you! :)

[@stevenhorton8604]

I've never heard of anything like this, nor have I ever used a fountain pen, but the KZbin Algorithm says hello. I watched half the video, and this is kind of neat.

[@TheDormousesDesk]

those little Hongdian Black Forest pens are great for the price. I keep one with my Hobonichi weeks. I wish they came in broader nibs other than a fude.

[@ChrisSaenz13]

Hi Brenda ... it just hit me ... I wonder if these are #5 nibs? I'm away from my desk at the moment but gee if they are we could put in replacement nibs. ?? Now I'm real curious!

[@TheDormousesDesk]

@@ChrisSaenz13 I literally asked the same question in the Slack group like 3 days ago. #5 Jowo.

[@periwinkle197]

Only have Cosmo air light (Yamamoto) gsm75: notes are: it has a coated feeling with a lot of pens and ink; but not all. Some drag ; paper feels soft and padded feeling - a bit like Rhodia R. Squishy under the nib, velvet, furry feedback. Hand oils effect your writing. Cheers Dean from Oz

[@ChrisSaenz13]

Hi Dean -- it is fun exploring this paper. I thought it was odd how much better I like the Snow version over the Light one. Much more testing and writing to come!

[@kathycullenstern9652]

Both papers look nice. I prefer white paper so I might have to find some snow.

[@ChrisSaenz13]

Hi Kathy - it's definitely a contender with me for best letter writing paper!

[@maccaj6565]

Hi Chris- I've had a hectic time too and haven't had much time to watch videos for far, far too long (so forgive me if you knew this already!), but I recently ran out of Tomoe. When I went to re-order, I discovered that "old" Tomoe no longer exists, was "new" TR for a while, then bought by another company which is now making a *third* kind of Tomoe, which is supposedly close to but not the same as the original. (Much of this happened last year, but I missed it entirely.) Anyway, in my quest to figure out if the current TR is something I can physically manage, I found out that PaperPenguinCo does *very* reasonably priced sample packs of specialty papers (and shipping is less than a dollar!). Mine should be here in the next few days; both of the Cosmo Airs, mitsubishi bank paper, onion skin, and some others. Really excited to try them out - I don't have any paper left that shows sheen! Good to "see" you again. Lots of love to you and your kitties.

[@ChrisSaenz13]

Hi Seanchai -- welcome back! I hope all is going well for you now. Oh this is great info -- a sample pack sounds like a great way to explore several papers -- thanks for mentioning this!!!!! I got so confused about the old and new TR paper I finally realized it was time to explore other options!

[@MissMarilynDarling]

Cvs also makes loose leaf paper that I prefer for letter writing you might find some of that in your store it comes in college rule and wide rule which I like unless I want to write really big then I prefer to use double lines of the college rule :)

[@ChrisSaenz13]

Oh yes I love the CVS Caliber filler paper too but it's funny I seem to greatly prefer A5 size paper for letter writing I guess due to my envelopes.

[@JannyHaak]

So good to hear that Willy is having good days! 😻 Thanks for comparing these papers, Chris!

[@ChrisSaenz13]

Hi Janny - thank you my friend - we are having a bit of a roller coaster with Willy's well-being ... we cherish each good day for sure. :)

[@JannyHaak]

@@ChrisSaenz13 I can totally relate! 😻🙏

[@jackivaltrades]

I've made a journal or two out of the Cosmo Air Light, and it feels difficult to write with like dragging a pen through mud (wording snagged from a review I saw somewhere on JetPens, I believe) Though, I do like the paper and its qualities, I struggle with writing for long times with it because I have to fight the paper a little.

[@ChrisSaenz13]

Hi JackivalTrades -- I'm going to continue to experiment with this paper both of them -- for some reason the Cosmo Air Light I have feels too soft and I sometimes battle it. The samples of the Air Snow are different - so I'll have to try and see how it goes.

[@jackivaltrades]

@@ChrisSaenz13 I'm glad you had the two to compare! I'll have to try the other one sometime in the future because I've never had any to test. Just gotta get through all this loose leaf I stocked up on. 😂 Hope your tests work out for you!

[@ellaniwalker6155]

I went on Jet pens and ordered the size 4 and size 5 and two journals. Thank you! Love and light! 💖🌟

[@ChrisSaenz13]

Hi Ellani -- oh wow I can't wait to try a journal of Cosmo Air Snow!

Looking forward to your videos Chris! A balm to the soul. Thanks.

[@ChrisSaenz13]

Hi Mariela! :) Thank you for being here!

[@lynnhayes5514]

I love both the Cosmos, and also have them in notebook journals.

[@ChrisSaenz13]

Hi Lynn - I'm going to put Cosmo Air Snow notebook on my wishlist for next channel $ that sounds great!

[@CarolLoughrey]

I never heard of the Snow before! I do have some cosmo air notebooks and love them! I received my TWSBI 580 Rose and the ink to match and I absolutely love both! Thanks again for the tip about Vaness😊

[@ChrisSaenz13]

Hi Carol -- oh awesome -- great to hear this! I love Vanness they are located sort of in my region due North and it's sometimes just astounding how quickly orders arrive not to mention how friendly they are.

[@MissMarilynDarling]

Hong Dian Black Forest fountain pen if anybody is looking for it

[@ChrisSaenz13]

Thank you Marilyn -- I always manage to mangle pen names pretty good. :)

[@MissMarilynDarling]

@@ChrisSaenz13 thats ok we are all doing our best :)

[@ellaniwalker6155]

To add: I ordered the Snow! And one of the journals has almost 300 sheets of 52 in a journal that has a dark purple cover and has a dot grid. Not sure what the paper is on the other journal. Thank you! 😊😻🦋

[@ichirofakename]

I've a notebook of Cosmo Air Light dedicated to Haha and Nitro. I must say you can make great big puddles to maximize the features of those inks, with little bleed through. IMO.

[@ChrisSaenz13]

Hi Ichiro -- oh wow I can see one as a future ink journal then!!! I'm on my last hardcover A5 68 gsm TR paper journal from Bond Travel Gear right now. It will take me a long time to fill it.

[@jacobus57]

The only difference is the slightly whiter color of the Snow. Every batch of paper might have minor variations in texture. The Air line has a much softer finish than Tomoe River which is why some people don't like it, but I bet much prefer Air to TR. It's so much more pleasant to write on!

[@ChrisSaenz13]

Hi Jackie - oh cool - this is so fascinating to learn so much more about this paper. I do really enjoy the weight of the paper much better than the ultra thin 52 gsm TR. Even though I just loved how ink looked on that old paper. It is very pleasant to write on this Cosmo paper!!!

[@peggylove1]

I didn’t like the Cosmo Air Light paper at all. I write small and use EF and F nibs exclusively. This paper spreads the ink and makes the writing look like it was written with a M or B nib. With small writing that is not a good thing.

[@ChrisSaenz13]

Hi Peggy -- I'm going to be interested in how the paper does with my wetter inks. It's super with Robert Oster this month but I wonder about some of my really flowy ones like Pilot and even Vinta Makopa. I need to do some tests. Can I ask what your favorite paper for writing with F and EF nibs is? That area is out of my knowledge base almost completely other than Tomoe River paper and I am just dipping my toes into Hobinichi Weeks with 52 gsm TR paper.

[@homesteadhermits8467]

So sad. Looking for alternatives, they have been announced as dicontinued

[@ChrisSaenz13]

Oh wow that was quick! I heard the Air Snow was still going to be available but have not confirmed this directly yet.

[@homesteadhermits8467]

@@ChrisSaenz13 oh that would make my day if they will be. I could only see confirmation for the Air Light but at the same time they used wording that could mean that exact paper or the family line could be discontinued. I'm eyeing off Endless Regalia as a possible alternative. Handles sheening well and does odd things with dual shaders which is the same with Cosmo light I find. Cosmo light really brings out shading so the second dual shading colour actually suffers compared to on TR where shaders can perform less well.

[@Kimbopolo]

Hi Chris! We have 3 CVS stores in my town and I would like to find you the Caliber (made in Vietnam) that you like. Is your preference a tablet? Like A5 size? Is it top or side bound? Perforated? Just want to know what I'm looking for.

[@ChrisSaenz13]

Hi Kim -- oh that is so nice of you -- I am not sure if they still make the writing tablet which is A5 approximate size and tear off (gummed) top ... I can't find them anymore here .... we have still 2 CVSs and I can find the filler paper and lots of various notebooks but not the ruled writing tablets. Although, I have been making it work with the ring top steno pads. If you happened to find the ruled writing tablet that is my favorite although I would worry that the postage would exceed the paper value if that makes sense. :)

[@raggsj38]

That was a great video, as always. I've only used the cosmo air notebooks, so I wonder if they are snow or cream? hmmm.....I may have to order a pack of the snow to try! It's my second favorite after TR (which I really stocked up on)!. However, I do find the notebook just a bit draggy with some nibs.

[@MamaTomasu]

i think it's more common to have the bound notebooks with cream (cosmo air light). are you able to go back to the product listing where you ordered the book?

[@ChrisSaenz13]

Hi raggsj38 -- oh wow everyone is mentioning the notebooks and I never even looked at the Cosmo notebooks. :) I'm always going thru my letter writing paper pretty fast!!!

[@jamesaritchie1]

I have always hated Tomoe River paper for several reasons. It's too thin and ghosts, and ink dries on the surface, so the paper is not a good choice for Longterm storage. Even high humidity can reactivate the dye that's left on the surface of the paper after the ink dries. There are other reasons, but those two are enough for me. Cosmo is a little better, but not enough so to make me use it. I like most of the other fountain pen papers out there, Clairefontaine, Rhodia Apica, etc. I even like Walmart 100gsm Exceed paper more than TR or Cosmo. I keep my journals in Oxford Black n'' Red casebound notebooks. The Black n' Red spiral bound tablets have unbelievably good fountain pen paper. There are several other very good fountain pen papers made in Japan and Europe. I have too many of them. There are several other fountain pen papers I really like. The one thing they all have in common is being 90gsm or better. I hate ghosting. It's like paying twice as much for paper when I can't use both sides. I hate shading, too. It's just looks like a sloppy mess to my old-fashioned viewpoint. But I can eliminate almost all shading by ink and nib choice, so that's usually not a problem with any paper. I primarily use Oxford Black m' Red, Rhodia, and Apica, but I also have a bunch of Clairefontaine, Rhodia, and Exceed notebooks that I really like. I can't remember the brand, but I also have ten large three ring binders filled with good fountain pen paper, a couple of thousand sheets, at least. I use this paper for writing novel and short stories. For take anywhere paper, I carry a 3.5 x 5.5 hardcover lined notebook These cost five dollars and are the best I've found for slipping in my pocket.

[@ChrisSaenz13]

I love hearing about paper opinions!!! I remember really loving the Hamelin Optik lined notebooks I got -- they were a lot like Clairfontaine I think and I wrote many letters on that nice paper! Ghosting never bothered me but the thinness of the paper (Tomoe River) did bother me so I should have been getting the 68 gsm but the cost was higher (for letters). I'm still yet to land on my "perfect" letter writing paper although the CVS Caliber filler and Steno/Writing Tablet is perfect for my very wet writing nibs and is very cost effective for the tons of paper I use. I need to try the Oxford Black n' Red ... many people have mentioned it!!! Thank you for "talking" paper! I too love carrying an A6 hardcover for daily notes. I would be lost without it. $5 is good - do you mind saying which brand you get in that size?

[@jankafka7330]

She lost me at 'pen friends'.